A Minnesota woman seen using a racial slur against a child in a video posted on social media has raised over $300,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, saying she and her family need to relocate for their safety.
The incident, which occurred at Soldiers Field Memorial Park in Rochester, shows a woman, identified as Shiloh Hendrix, using the n-word in an argument with a man who confronted her about her language toward a Black child. The video, which circulated across social media platforms including X and TikTok, shows Hendrix repeating the slur and defending her actions by claiming the child stole from her toddler’s diaper bag.
Newsweek reached out to the Rochester Police Department via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The rapid spread of the video and subsequent support for the woman at the center of the controversy has reignited debates over online harassment, free speech, racism and digital fundraising platforms.
Civil rights leaders and lawmakers are condemning the incident, but Hendrix’s fundraiser on GiveSendGo has collected over $300,000 in donations since its launch on Thursday.
What To Know
Hendrix, who acknowledged being the woman in the video, created the fundraiser titled “Help Me Protect My Family” on GiveSendGo. She claimed in the campaign description that her personal information, including her address and Social Security number, had been leaked, and that she and her children faced online threats.
“I fear that we must relocate,” Hendrix wrote on the page. “We have been threatened to the extreme by people online. Anything will help! We cannot, and will not live in fear!”
Hendrix said the Black child stole from her 18-month-old’s diaper bag.
“I called the kid out for what he was,” Hendrix wrote on the page.
In a second video showing Hendrix standing by a vehicle, the man recording says, “I have never seen anybody be a racist to a child on the spectrum of autism. Today, this is her.”
Some people donating to the GiveSendGo campaign said they were doing so to help stand up for the white race with one donor writing that the “White race is under threat of impending extinction.” Others said they donated to protect the First Amendment and others suggested she save some of the money for legal fees.
“We are all fatigued and know that rather than changing their behavior, minorities insist on trying to police our words,” donor Elijah Schaffer wrote alongside a $650 donation.
The Rochester branch of the NAACP has called on authorities to investigate the woman’s actions, which they described as an “intentional racist, threatening, hateful and verbal attack against a child” in a statement.
What People Are Saying
Rochester NAACP President Wale Elegbede told The Minnesota Star Tribune: “Now she’s fundraising on this, and that is just abhorrent and totally unacceptable. She needs to face legal consequences for all her actions. This is a disgrace.”
Hendrix, on GiveSendGo: “We are taking the proper procedures in order to stay safe from these constant threats. I’m still very frightened, and I don’t think I will feel safe until we can escape completely.”
A recent anonymous donor on GiveSendGo: “We have had enough of this archaic nonsense, innocent people’s lives should not be destroyed because of a word.”
What Happens Next
Local and state officials have issued statements condemning the incident. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton emphasized continued efforts to support anti-racist initiatives, telling the Star Tribune, “We will continue to do that in this city because it’s the right thing to do.”
The Rochester Police Department told the Rochester Post Bulletin they are actively looking into the incident after receiving multiple calls.
With the video still drawing attention online and the fundraiser crossing the $300,000 mark, local officials and civil rights organizations continue to call for accountability and community dialogue. The Rochester NAACP is also urging the family of the child and any witnesses to contact the organization for legal support.
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